


The Boy in the Bubble

by SugaNymph



Category: The Umbrella Academy (Comics), The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bullying, DON'T COME HERE FOR PLOT, Five, Five is a middle schooler, Five-centric, I tried my best okay, I wanted to display my mangled baby to the world, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Inspired by Alec Benjamin's The Boy in the Bubble, NO PLOT JUST WHUMP AND PAIN, Not Beta Read, Number Five | The Boy Has Issues, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Random Grace the mother with her baby Five segment at the end, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Self-Indulgent, THIS IS JUST FIVE FEELS, This purely self-indulgent angst, Whump, and his voice lowkey reminds me of Aidan Gallagher's don't @ me, hohoho THIS SONG SCREAMS ANGSTY FIVE, i love my baby, i'm crazy i'm weird oof, i'm impatient, idk it just happened, like really, lol, so i did, the boy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 23:10:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18292097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugaNymph/pseuds/SugaNymph
Summary: "Punch my face, do it 'cause I like the painEvery time you curse my nameI know you want the satisfaction, it's not gonna happenKnock me out, kick me when I'm on the groundIt's only gonna let you downCome the lightning and the thunderYou're the one who'll suffer, suffer"ANGST ENSUES *manic laughter* Five-centric





	The Boy in the Bubble

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I only own my imagination  
> all mistakes are my own, this was purely self-indulgent hohoho

Five Hargreeves; the youngest of seven siblings, undoubtedly the smartest of the bunch and unluckily the only one left in their huge manor of a house with their piece of shit father because of his siblings all being away for university. Being the only one around had him drowning in their father’s high expectations of him. A genius he was, but he could only do as much as his body allowed. The prodigy, he was called, the boy wonder, the one to surpass their father. He scorned at the idea, remembering the pain that came with those words.

Their father was a scholar, an eccentric being with a brain to match his arrogance. Being challenged and compared to a boy he bought on a whim never settled well with him. It felt degrading, so he took it out on the cause of these comparisons.

Having to go through a whole book on astrophysics and solve a problem his father gave him when Five barely understood the basics was one such event. Inability to do so was followed by punishment.

Wiping the blood dripping down his nose, Five thought back to one of those punishments, when their father had taken it a bit too far for his standards. He remembered having tumbled down the stairs because he wasn’t able to regain his balance after another head jolting slap, his father scoffing as he laid there helpless. It was Klaus who had found him that night. He had already been there for more than a couple of hours, just lying on the carpet, his whole body throbbing. Klaus was back because he had forgotten a few necessary records in his room, and was he glad he had. His brother had picked him up, crying like the emotionally open man he was, and taken him to his room.

Klaus had stayed the night by his side, not caring if he missed a day of classes or had to see their father again. Five wouldn’t say it out loud, but he was grateful, immensely so.

Stumbling on a crack in his path jolted him out of his musings. He warily eyed his blood-smeared hands, mentally grimacing just thinking about the way his face would be looking right now. His lip felt heavy and swollen, his cheek was throbbing with a new bruise making its presence known. His nose was definitely broken. Just breathing through it had a sharp shot of pain coursing through his whole face. Maybe inciting the giant bully wasn’t such a good idea, he thought, wiping his hands on his dark shorts.

His legs were all scrapped, bleeding from where pebbles had dug in a bit too hard. On the side of his calf, he could spot multiple finger-shaped bruises, probably from when he was legit dragged across the ground by his leg.

How he wished he would’ve taken up on Diego’s offer of teaching him martial arts, he wouldn’t be thrown about like an insect if that would’ve been the case.

Trying to wipe some dirt off his tattered shirt, his eyes fell on the digital watch strapped on his wrist, the numbers reading 6:48 pm. Groaning, he racked a hand through his mussed hair. Father would already be back, probably waiting with behind that desk of his like the abusive old bastard he was. If only he was of legal age, he would’ve already run away by now. But no, destiny had to be a bitch. While all his siblings got to be away, living free and away from the old man’s clutches; little, young, minor Five was still under full custody of their _competent_ father.

He could see the manor in close distance, the lights from the windows burning his eyes like hell fire. He knew what lies behind those walls and he definitely didn’t want to face it. Though dragging his feet now would only delay the inevitable. Taking precaution not to push his body too much, Five walked to the ominous building as fast he could, entering silently when he reached the door.

Lo and behold, there the old bastard was, standing on top of the staircase under a big portrait of his own face, looking everything like a cliché movie villain. Five snickered at the thought, ignoring the angry frown on their father’s face. He knew he was doomed, why not have some fun while he could?

“Five!”

Reginald’s voice boomed throughout the hall, making a shiver of fear trickle down Five’s back. He had this voice directed at him multiple times but it never lost its effect. Especially when he knew whatever followed this tone was never pleasant.

“Where were you?”

There was a rule in the household, never look father in the eye. He deemed it disrespectful; Five called it a means of demeaning his siblings and him. The man wanted to be the superior, the one on top of the food chain. Any kind of challenge was intolerable, even eye contact.

Yet that didn’t dissuade Five. Never had, and never will. He looked directly in the furious eyes shooting glares at him, “Out.”

Even from this much distance between them, Five could see the veins popping out on his father’s neck. He gulped, the man seemed exceptionally trigger happy today, it didn’t spell good tidings for him.

“Boy you better answer respectfully or there would be nothing stopping me from delivering appropriate punishment for such rude behavior.”

“I was out, with friends,” Five replied, not letting his father see any signs of his intimidation tactics work on him. They were, he admits, but it was nothing new, he couldn’t let the old man have the satisfaction, “I told you I’m not a kid, stop imposing stupid curfews on me.”

Reginald aimed a mockingly raised brow at him, visibly racking his eyes over Five’s appearance, “I see you still haven’t properly learned your lesson. Lying to hide your failures,” the man tutted condescendingly, “Such disgrace you bring Five,” He looked at the vintage clock on the wall before facing him, “In my office by 7:30 pm sharp. Don’t bother entering the kitchen; you’re barred from meals until I personally approve of your progress.” With that, he was gone.

Five sighed, yelping in pain when he accidentally jostled his broken nose. He needed a strong shot of something, he thought bemusedly.

\----

Pushing himself out of the office, that was more a torture chamber of sorts, Five nearly stumbled to the floor if not for Grace coming out of nowhere and holding him up. She held him against her warm body, a trembling hand smoothing his hair on the back of his head, “I’ve some food for you in your room, sweetie, come.”

He could barely nod without wincing, his head all muddled and heavy. His body felt like one big, throbbing bruise and he definitely didn’t like the sensation.

Grace hoisted him up in her arms, knowing he was way too out of it to register or fight the act. She had been appointed as the caretaker of the house and children when baby Five was first brought in. She was to care for his needs, diaper changes, timely feeding, everything. She was there when he had taken his first steps, when he lost his first milk tooth, when he first experienced the cold shoulder of their father. She was there when he had called her ‘mom’ only to get smacked by Sir Reginald. He had cried for hours after that, Vanya and Ben trying to calm him because Grace was barred to meet him for a week.

Helping him lay down on his bed she couldn’t help but think back to the time she had been planning to run away with Five when Sir Reginald had hit him so hard he lost consciousness. Luther had been there, looking guilty for having tattled on his brother after seeing the kind of reaction their father had. Grace would be lying if she said Five didn’t have a special place in her heart. She had raised him, he was his son in all but formal legalities.

Bringing out a tub of luke warm water and a few clothes, she proceeded to wash off the dirt and blood on his body so she could administer proper medical treatment. She roused Five up, handing him a glass of fruit smoothie because, with the way his lips and throat were swollen, she didn’t think he would be able to ingest something solid for a while.

Five took the glass precariously in his hold, the coldness numbing the pain in his hands. Through the thick straw he sipped up the creamy drink, his gaze following Grace as she treated his injuries in her meticulous manner. Sometimes he couldn’t help but think the woman was more a machine than human with the way she moved so swiftly.

“What happened Five?”

“That giant oaf cornered me again,”

Grace shot him a look equally tired and exasperated, “You got your nose broke, we need to get it set and plastered,”

“Tomorrow,” he mumbled out, handing her the glass as he finally passed out, too tired to stay up anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter for Myosotis/ installment in Gardenia is under process but it's going to take long  
> I just had my root canal procedure's first half done, i've to go to the endodontist again  
> i've got college + i'm volunteering soooo lack of timeee
> 
> As for this one, I might or might not add new chapters if i feel like it  
> its incomplete-ish, plot less so yeah  
> mindless angst


End file.
